Who we are Our trustees Our Board of Trustees are experienced men and women from various backgrounds. They are responsible for the governance of Hertfordshire Mind Network and offer their time to the charity on a voluntary basis. They appoint a CEO to manage the day-to-day activities of the organisation, who reports to them at meetings at least four times per year. CHAIR: Fran Deschampsneufs Fran joined us as a volunteer befriender (now known as a peer mentor), whilst working as the Director of a printing company. Fran has lived in Hertfordshire for more than 40 years and has served many local charities and organisations, including the Samaritans of South West Herts, where she was Chair of the Board for three years. She continues to work at The Mount Prison in Bovingdon, where she trains prisoners as listeners. Fran is an Appointed Governor for the Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust and is a member of Mind's national leadership training steering group. SECRETARY: Janet Court As a former Assistant Manager of a local Volunteer Centre Janet is a passionate advocate for volunteering. Janet has served Hertfordshire Mind Network in various roles, most notably as a befriender and a vocational advisor, where her wealth of understanding about volunteering has enabled her to support many people with mental health problems back into the work place. Janet holds a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Applied Biology and worked in research and health promotion for many years. Janet also holds a certificate in Introduction to Counselling Skills and is a trained and active Samaritan, volunteering at The Mount Prison as a listener in the Orison Visitors Centre. TREASURER: Mark Craigen Mark has held various senior Finance roles in a number of industries having started his career at Deloitte, one of the "Big 4" advisory firms. Mark brings this wealth of experience to the Board. Mark currently works as the Finance Director of a division of an AIM listed group. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. In his spare time Mark enjoys open water swimming and cycling (but not running, otherwise he’d be a triathlete!). THERAPEUTIC LEAD: Erika L. Paula Erika has a background in international business, psychology and psychotherapy. Erika has a proven track record in delivering change and transformation in large public sector organisations, with expertise in integrated governance, business and commercial areas. Erika works for ELFT - East London NHS Foundation Trust as a Senior Operations Manager for the Bedfordshire Wellbeing Service. Erika is interested in meditation, ancient philosophy, travelling and experiencing new cultures. SOLICITOR: Peter Goodman Peter is a qualified solicitor and started his professional life as a criminal lawyer attending courts throughout the country. He has since established a reputation as a leading international motorsports lawyer and for several years he worked as a celebrity manager and then media lawyer in London. He currently works as a partner and corporate lawyer in a large law firm in St Albans with a specialty of working for businesses in the care sector. Peter is a past President of the St Albans District Chamber of Commerce and is a long-standing director of St Albans Enterprise Agency. Peter was for some years our external lawyer and joined the Board in June 2015. CARER REP: Ian Pearce Having worked as a Police Officer and Community Safety Worker for many years Ian brings hugely important legal and local experience to the Board. Ian also represents the many carers we support. For the past decade he has been a dedicated carer to a young family member experiencing mental ill health. In addition to his voluntary commitment as a Board member, Ian volunteers as a Peer Support worker and he holds an accreditation in this area. Ian also holds two Masters degrees, in Social Work and Social Policy respectively, as well as an undergraduate degree in Law. In his spare time he enjoys playing and listening to music, golf and charity fundraising. MENTAL HEALTH LEAD: Siobhan Nundram Siobhan trained as a mental health nurse originally, working as a staff nurse, Ward Manager and Clinical Nurse Specialist before moving into Health Service Management roles. She has a MA health service management and is widely experienced across a diverse range of roles and new initiatives. Siobhan has been a board member with HMN for the past 7 years and leads on safeguarding for the organisation. With a special interest in people experiencing severe and enduring mental health issues, personality disorders and survivors of abuse, Siobhan feels it is her pleasure and privilege to be part of the HMN team and is passionate about reducing suicide and improving people’s quality of life. PSYCHIATRIC LEAD: Dr Omar Daniels Omar joined the Board in 2014. His understanding of mental health and mental illness is vast, having worked as a doctor for 40 years, including more than three decades as a Consultant Psychiatrist with the National Health Service. Since retiring in 2012 Omar now volunteers his many years of professional experience and understanding to HMN, which is of profound importance to our service planning and delivery. Omar holds degrees in Medicine (MBBCh and DPM). After graduating as a doctor Omar trained in Psychiatry. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Our associates BUSINESS LEAD: Jonathan Lonsdale Jonathan joined the Board in 2012. He is a senior manager for one of Europe’s largest supermarkets and brings significant commercial and retail experience to the organisation, which is particularly beneficial to our many social enterprises. Jonathan holds Bachelor of Sciences degree in applied biological sciences and in his spare time he enjoys cooking (particularly BBQ!) and gardening.